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LIFE AM) OHAPwVGTER 



HON. (A ('.A¥AS1IBURN 



BEFORE THE 

STATE HISTOEIOAL SOCIETY, 

JULY 25, -1882. 




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MEMORIAL ADDKESSES 



ON THE 



LIFE AND CHARACTER 



OF 



HON. C. C.WASHBURN, LLC, 



LATE GOVERlTdR OF WISCONSIN. 



V 

BEFORE THE 

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 
JULY, 25, 1882. 







MADISON, WIS.: 

DAVID ATWOOD, PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER. 
1888. 



IN MEMORIAM. 



HON. CADWALLAt)ER C. WASHBURN, LL.D. 



State Historical Society, July 25, 1882. 



Gen. Simeon Mills, one of the Yice Presidents, in the chair, 
who announced the object of the meeting — to pay a suitable 
tribute of respect to the memory of the late Hon. C. C. "Wash- 
burn, LL.D., for nearly six years past the President of the 
Society. 

Gen. David Atwood arose, and presented the following 

SKETCH OF THE LIFE ANT) CHARACTER OF CADWALLADER C. WASHBURN. 

Mr. President cmd Gentlemen of the State Historical Society: 

New England has produced a large number of men of strong 
convictions, of sterling integrity, of uncompromising patriotism, 
of inflexible devotion to freedom and the equality of man; and 
it has been liberal in the peopling of States and Territories out- 
side of its own limits, with a substantial class of citizens who 
have done valuable service in shaping the character of the new 
States. They have carried into the new country the habits of 
industry, frugality and morality, inherited from the Puritan 
Fathers, with such improvements as have been gained in several 
generations by experience, and from the superior educational 
facilities afforded in that section of the country. In the vast 
numbers of people that New England has sent into other parts 
of our Union, there have been few, if any, in the great North- 
west, who more fully represented, in their every day action, the 
sturdy qualities — mentally, phj^sically and morally — of these 
New England Puritans, than did the Hon. Cadwallader C. 
Washburn, whose many virtues of head and heart we now meet 
to commemorate, and whose death to mourn! This distin- 



4 Wisconsin State Histokical Society. 

guished citizen of Wisconsin died at Eureka Springs, in Arkan- 
sas, at 5:30 o'clock, in the afternoon of the l-ith of May, 1882. 
He had been a patient sufferer from the 3d day of February, 
1881, on which day he was first attacked with paralysis, result- 
ing from Bright's disease of the kidneys, which had been prey- 
ing upon him for some time, scarcely realized by himself. From 
this attack he partially recovered, and during the year visited 
Europe in the hope of finding relief 'in the change of climate 
and from the skill of the most eminent physicians in the world. 
The relief was only temporary. In a few months he returned 
to his own country, and after receiving treatment for a short 
time in Philadelphia, repaired in February last to the healing 
springs of Arkansas, accompanied by his brother, Hon. E. B. 
Washburne, of Chicago. For a while, he seemed to improve ; 
but it was not long till renewed attacks of paralysis were expe- 
rienced, and new complications of his disease set in, baffling the 
skill of all physicians, causing him to fail during the last two 
weeks of his life with fearful rapidity, and resulting in his 
peacefully passing away, surrounded by his immediate family 
and many anxious friends, as recorded above. 

The life of this great and good man was of vast importance 
to his adopted State and to the country; and his death is prop- 
erly claimed as a public calamity. The duty of placing on the 
records of this Society a brief sketch of his life, making refer- 
ence to some of the more important events in it, has been 
assigned to me ; and while I feel entirely incompetent to do 
reasonable justice to the subject, will make the effort, and if I 
fail, it will not result from the want of a due a]ipreciation of 
the exalted character and great worth of the noble man, whose 
name and acts Avill be remembered, and held in the highest 
respect by the people of the Commonwealth through all coming 
time. 

In the ancestry of Mr. Washburn, he goes back on both his 
father's and mother's sides to the early settlements by the Puri- 
tans. John Washburn, from whom he was a direct descendant, 
was Secretary of Plymouth Colony in England, came to this 
country in 1631, and settled in what was then known as the 
" Eagle's Nest," in Duxbury, Massachusetts. The great-grand- 
father of Mr. AVashburn was a very prominent man in his day ; 



In Memoriam — ^Cadwallader C. Washburn. 5 

an extensive farmer, and the proprietor of a large iron furnace 
in Raynham, Massachusetts, He was for many years, a repre- 
sentative in the General Court. Our late ex-Governor is reported 
as having borne a striking personal resemblance to his great- 
grandfather. His grandfather, Capt. Israel Washburn, was a 
resident of the same town of Raynham, served in the Revolu- 
tionary war, was a member of the Massachusetts convention 
that ratified the Constitution of the United States, and was 
repeatedly chosen to represent his people in the General Court, 
the New England name for Legislature in the early days, and 
frequently used at the present time. His father, Israel Wash- 
burn, Avas born in Raynham, November 18, 1784; he moved to 
Maine in 1806; stopped a brief time in several places, teaching 
school, and following his trade as a ship builder. In 1809, he 
purchased a farm and store in Livermore, where he continued 
in trade till 1829, when he gave up his mercantile pursuits, and 
spent the subsequent years of his life on his farm known as the 
"Norlands." He represented his town in the Legislature in 
1815, 1816, 1818 and 1819, while Maine was a Province of 
Massachusetts. He died September 1, 1876, at the advanced 
age of ninety-two years. 

The mother of Mr. Washburn was a descendant, in the sixth 
generation, from John Benjamin, who arrived in this country 
on the ship Lion in 1632, and was a proprietor of Cambridge; 
but at an early day settled at Watertown, where, in the fifth 
generation from John, above mentioned, Samuel Benjamin, the 
father of Mrs. Washburn, was born, February 3, 1753 ; he en- 
tered the Revolutionary army in 1775, and participated in the 
battles at Lexington, at Bunker Hill, at Monmouth, at York- 
town, and at many others of lesser note, in the great struggle 
for American Independence. His whole term of service Avas 
seven years, three months and twenty-one days. Lieut. Benja- 
min became the fourth settler in Livermore in 1783, where he 
continued to reside till his death, which occurred April 14, 1824. 
He married Tabitha Livermore, of Waltham, Massachusetts, 
January 16, 1782, and they raised a famil}' of ten children, of 
whom Martha, born October 4, 1792, became the wife of Israel 
Washburn, March 30, 1812, and died May 6, 1861. Of this 
mother of Gen. Washburn, a friend in Maine writes: "She 



6 Wisconsin State Histoeical Society. 

was a woman of great force of character, of a sweet disposition 
and fond of her children, especially of ' Caddy,' between whom 
and herself there was a remarkable nearness." In memory of 
this good woman and revered mother, the distinguished son has 
provided for the founding of an Orphan's Asylum at Minneap- 
olis, the point of his most successful business and financial 
achievements, and where he accumulated a large portion of his 
ample fortune. 

It thus appears that the ancestry of our subject in this country 
has been long, and, on both sides, eminently respectable, promi- 
nent and imbued with pure principles and correct habits; and 
his immediate family has occupied an especially prominent 
position in the history of the country for the past thirty years. 
Of seven sons, four have occupied seats in Congress from four 
different States — Israel from Maine, Elihu B. from Illinois, 
Cadwallader C. from Wisconsin, and William D. from Minne- 
sota. Israel and C. C. have been Governors of their respective 
States, and Elihu B. and Charles A. have represented the nation 
at foreign courts. All the duties of these positions have been 
discharged with distinguished ability, and with much usefulness 
to the United States Government. The venerable father lived 
to witness the remarkable success in life of his talented sons. 

Cadwallader C. Washburn, the subject of this sketch, was born 
at Livermore, Maine, April 22, 1818. Of his boyhood life, we 
know but little. From a letter received from one who knew him 
well in Maine, we extract a paragraph in regard to him in his 
early years : " He was a quiet, broad-shouldered boy, never in 
trouble, and liked by everybody; observing, studious and per- 
sistent. He lived mostly at home until about 1835, working on 
the farm, and attending the town school. He was apt to learn 
and a great reader, with a remarkable memory. Sometime 
about the latter year, he went to Hallowell, at that time one of 
the most considerable trading towns in Maine, and a place of 
unusual culture, being the seat of the Yaughans, a distinguished 
English family. Dr. Benjamin Yaughan, a member of the British 
House of Commons, and a friend of Charles Fox, came to this 
country late in the last century. Here young Washburn re- 
mained, sometimes a clerk in a store, sometimes in the postoffice, 
where he enjoyed opportunities for study and observation, until 



In Memobiam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 7 

late in December, 1838, when he took the principal school in 
the ancient town of Wiscasset, to teach for the winter of 1839. 
That service performed, he set out, in the spring or early sum- 
mer of that year, for the "West. He never lived in Boston, as 
some papers have stated. In his case it was true, if ever, that 
the ' child is father of the man.' " 

Mr. Washburn had not only received a good common school 
education in his native town of Livermore, but afterwards at- 
tended a private school that had been established in the town 
for teaching the higher branches of education. He also devoted 
some time to the study of the classics under the instruction of his 
uncle, the Hon. Euel Washburn. This uncle was the principal 
lawyer in the town, a graduate of Brown University, and a good 
classical scholar. The sturdy character of Judge Washburn, 
the kindness he extended to him, and the encouragement and 
advice he gave him, was never forgotten by the nephew, as is 
shown by the following provision of his will: 

To the three daughters of Alonzo Washburn, son of my uncle, Ruel 
Washburn, I give one thousand dollars each, $3,000, in token of my respect 
for the memory of my excellent uncle, their grandfather, who was one of 
the most honest and conscientious men I ever knew, and whose advice to 
me when I left home I have never forgotten. 

Thus grounded in the substantial business and moral qualities 
of a New England education, with excellent health and a 
robust constitution, Mr. Washburn, in accordance with a long 
cherished intention, left the home of his childhood in the spring 
of 1839, to seek a new home, fortune and fame in the then 
Great West. He made his first stopping place at Davenport, 
then a small village in the then newly organized Territory of 
Iowa. For three months he kept a private school, and then 
took position on the Geological Survey of Iowa, under charge of 
David Dale Owen, that had been ordered by Congress. This 
survey was completed in November, 1849, and Mr. Washburn 
always spoke of this expedition as forming one of the happiest 
and most interesting epochs of his life. He then took up his 
residence at Stevenson, near Rock Island, and entered upon the 
study of the law in the office of an old friend from Maine, 
Hon. Joseph B. Wells, a man of fine ability, and who possessed 
many substantial and genial qualities. Mr. Wells was after- 



8 "WiscJONSiN State Historical Society. 

wards elected Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois. In 
1840, Mr. Washburn was elected surveyor of the county of 
Kock Island. In the spring of 1842 he deemed it necessary 
to bring his law studies to a close in Stevenson (then become 
Rock Island), and to find a location to enter the practice of his 
profession. In looking over the field he was attracted to Mineral 
Point, then the principal town in South-western Wisconsin. 
His brother, E. B. Washburne, had established himself two years 
before in a lucrative practice at Galena, Illinois, some forty 
miles distant, and that fact, no doubt, had considerable influence 
in deciding Mr. Washburn to locate at Mineral Point. He took 
up his residence in this thriving mining town in March, 1842, 
and the records show that, on motion of Hon. Moses M. Strong, 
he was admitted to practice at the bar, at a session of the 
United States District Court at Lancaster, Grant county. Judge 
Dunn presiding, on the 29th day of March of that year. He 
at once opened a law office at Mineral Point, and soon secured 
the confidence of the people by the promptitude and scrupulous 
fidelity with which he attended to business, and entered upon 
a successful practice, largely in the line of a collection business. 
He commenced his career as a lawyer with the same thorough, 
honest and prompt habits that characterized the later years of 
his life, and all matters intrusted to him received his careful 
personal attention till the work was completed; and when 
money was collected it was promptly paid over to its rightful 
owner. In a recent conversation with a personal friend who 
knew Mr. Washburn intimately in his early practice, he re- 
marked to us, that " no person who put collections in his hands 
ever had to collect the money twice," indicating that such was 
not always the case, and that it was sometimes more difficult to 
collect money from the attorney after he had received it than 
from the original debtor. Such was not the case with Mr. 
Washburn. In August, 1844. .he entered into partnership with 
Cyrus Woodman, a member of the Boston bar, who had for some 
years been the agent of the 'New England Land Company in 
IlUnois. He was a young man of bright promise, who brought 
into the business of the firm, not only ability, experience and 
substantial character, but considerable capital; and the firm 
very soon connected with the law office, a land agency, and 



In Memoriam — Cadwalladeb C. "Washbuen. 9 

entered upon an extensive and lucrative business. It was here 
that the foundation was laid that resulted in the accumulation 
of the immense fortune that Mr. Washburn possessed at the 
time of his death. The law practice was gradually abandoned, 
and the firm engaged largely in the entry of public lands for 
settlers, and the location of Mexican war land warrants. In 
this manner the firm became possessed of large quantities of 
pine, mineral and agricultural lands in its own right, and it 
secured many valuable farms for friends. The firm of Washburn 
& Woodman became widely known throughout the country, 
and by a system of fair and honest dealing, prompt and ener- 
getic action, established the reputation of being a strong, 
successful, and wealthy one for that early day in the West. 

After the State Banking Law of 1852 went into operation, 
this firm established the Mineral Point Bank, which stood the 
test of all financial reverses, and never suspended specie pay- 
ments. Soon after Mr. Washburn was elected to Congress, the 
affairs of this bank were wound up, and every dollar of its lia- 
bilities was paid in specie. The partnership of Washburn & 
Woodman was dissolved March 1, 1855, Mr. Woodman retiring 
from it, and Mr. Washburn assumed tlie responsibility of the 
entire business of the late firm. The article of dissolution was 
drawn up by Mr. Washburn, and contained this statement: 
" Whereas, we have, for upwards of ten years, been doing busi- 
ness as partners under the name of Washburn & Woodman, 
during which time, our intercourse, interrupted by no untoward 
circumstances, has been marked by a constant feeling of kind- 
ness and good will, coupled with an unusual degree of unanimity 
of sentiment in relation to our business transactions." 

Mr. Washburn managed the immense business left to him, 
with consummate skill and ability, acquiring the reputation of 
being one of the most substantial, successful and reliable busi- 
ness men in the great North-west. 

In 1850, Israel Washburn, a brother of C. C, was elected to 
Congress from Maine; and in 1852, Eljhu B., another brother, 
was chosen to the same body from the Galena district, in Illi- 
nois. The old second district in Wisconsin, in which Mr. C. C. 
Washburn resided at that time, included within its boundaries, 
about two-thirds of the territory of the State, taking in Rock 



10 Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

and Dane counties on the east, and extending north to Lake 
Superior. 

Mr. Washburn had been raised as a Whig, and always took 
great interest in political matters. On the repeal of the Mis- 
souri Compromise by Congress in 1854, he partook of the intense 
hostility to that measure which characterized the old Whigs 
and Free-soilers of Wisconsin. He was then in private life, in 
charge of extensive business operations, with no thought of 
entering into politics. The friends of Mr. Washburn, knowing 
his excellent business qualities and great firmness and integrity 
of character, made a movement, having in view his election to 
Congress. The idea originated in Rock county, and several of 
the prominent citizens of Janesville wrote a letter asking him 
to become a candidate for that office. Mr, W. replied to that 
letter on the 9th of August, 1854, expressing surprise that his 
name was mentioned for Congress. He could not then promise 
to accept a nomination on account of business engagements, 
but if the tender came with unanimity on the part of the con- 
vention, he would consider the propriety of accepting it. He 
soundly indorsed the principles of the Republican part}'' that 
had just been organized in Wisconsin. The suggestion of the 
name of Washburn for Congress received great favor throughout 
the district, and at the convention, he received the nomination, 
without effort or even desire on his part, and was elected a mem- 
ber of the 34:th Congress; and, on the 4th of March, 1855, the 
three brothers met in Washington, representing three different 
States in the House of Representatives, each having been elected 
at the age of thirty-six years.^ These three brothers occupied 

1 Mr. Eastman, the predecessor of Mr. Wasliburn in Congress, had voted 
against the Missonri Compromise, but did not identify himself with the 
anti-Nebraska party in the State. A friend well acquainted with the history 
of the time, gives the following information, that may prove of historical in- 
terest: "It is a singular fact, but a part of the unwritten political histoiy 
of Wisconsin, that the Democratic Congressional Convention for the dis- 
trict was held at Mineral Point in August, 1854, to nominate a candidate for 
Congress to succeed Mr. Eastman. This gentleman's course on the Ne- 
braska question had offended many leaders of the party, who were deter- 
mined to beat him for a re-nomination. The first thing to be done was to 
make a platform upon which he refused to accept a nomination. The con- 
vention then sent a committee to w%ait on Cyrus Woodman, the former 
partner of Mr. Washburn, and to offer him the nomination. Mr. Wood- 



In Memoriam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 11 

seats in Congress together for the succeeding six years, and 
proved themselves a strong force in shaping the legislation of 
the conntry, Mr, Washburn, being thoroughly acquainted with 
the wa^ts of the new State he was chosen to represent, was in- 
strumental in securing much legislation that has proved of great 
value to its people. With his brothers in Congress, he brought 
to bear a strong force upon any measure he desired, virtually 
giving his people the advantage of three representatives. In 
the 36th Congress, Mr. Washburn served as chairman of the 
committee on Private Land Claims, and as a member of the 
special committee of thirty-three on the State of the Union. 
'In February, 1861, this latter committee made a report recom- 
mending a Constitutional amendment making slavery perpetual. 
Mr. Washburn and Mr. Tappan, of New Hampshire, joined in 
a minority report, which set forth in strong and truthful terms 
the origin of the Secession movement, and opposed any modifi- 
cation of the Constitution in the interests of slavery. 

In January, 1861, Mr. Washburn introduced the following 
resolution : 

Resoli>ed, That the provisions of the Constitution are ample for the pres- 
ervation of the Union, and tlie protection of all the material interests of 
the country; that it needs to be obeyed rather than amended; and our ex- 
trication from present difficulties is to be looked for in efforts to preserve 
and protect the public property and enforce the laws, rather than in new 
guarantees for particular interests, or compromises or concessions to un- 
reasonable demands. 

In support of this resolution he made a few remarks, closing 
with the following significant and prophetic words: 

Sir, I have no special dread in regard to the future of this Republic. 
Civil war may come — disunion and dissolution may come, but, I pray Gk)d 
to deliver us fi-om both; but, sir, whatever naay come, I have an abiding 
faith in a kind Providence that has ever watched over us, that passing 

man informed the committee that he occupied the same ground that Mr. 
Eastman did on the Nebraska question, and that he would not accept a 
nomination on the platform adopted. The convention, the great object of 
which was apparently to defeat Mr. Eastman, finally agreed that if Mr. 
"Woodman would accept, he might make his own platform. This he de- 
clined to do, and finally Dr. Otis Hoyt, of Hudson, was nominated." The 
competitors of Gov. Washburn at the two subsequent elections to Con- 
gress, were the late Judge Samuel Crawford, and the late Judge Charles 
Dunn, both men of eminent ability and popular with their party. 



12 "Wisconsin State Historical Society. ^ 

events will be all over-ruled for good, and for the vrelfare of mankind in 
this and other lands. Gentlemen may talk of reconstructing this Govern- 
ment after it shall have been broken up and destroyed — it wiU not be re- 
constructed on the basis on which it now stands. Gentlemen may as weU 
understand right here that if the Government is to be re-consti-ucted, the 
people of the North will have a word to say as to the basis of that recon- 
struction; and no new union wiU be formed that does not give them terms 
of perfect equality. 

If this union must be dissolved, whether by peaceable secession, or 
through fire and blood and civil war, we shall have the consolation of know- 
ing that WHEN THE CONFLICT IS OVER, THOSE WHO SURVIVE 
IT WILL BE, WHAT THEY NEVER HAVE BEEN, INHABITANTS 
OF A FREE COUNTRY. 

Mr. Washburn was ever true to the cause of liberty, and the* 
slave found in him an able advocate and staunch friend. 

After serving six years in Congress, Mr. Washburn declined 
another election, and soon after the expiration of his term, 
March 4, ISGl, he changed his residence from Mineral Point to 
La Crosse. The late civil war soon followed, in which he took 
prominent part, and immediately after his return to civil pursuits, 
he was elected to the 40th Congress, taking his seat in the 
House of Representatives on the 4th of March, 1867; and was 
re-elected in 1868. In the 40th Congress, he served on the com- 
mittees of Foreign Affairs, and on Expenditures of Public Build- 
ings ; and in the next Congress he served on the committees on 
Appropriations, on Private Land Claims, on the committee on the 
Causes of the Reduction of American Tonnage, and was chair- 
man of the special committee on the Postal Telegraph. The 
fact of his being appointad to serve on so many important 
committees is evidence that he was held in high esteem in Con- 
gress. He was ever watchful of all interests intrusted to his 
care, and devoted himself with much energy to the labors of 
the several committees on which he served, and was active on 
the floor of the House. He was strongly in favor of uniting the 
postal and telegraphic service of the country, and that the 
lines of the latter be operated as a part of the postal system. 
From an exhaustive report he presented on this subject, we 
make a brief extract : 

Let the Government buy out the lines, transfer the management to the 
postoflSce department, and reduce at once the cost of telegraphing to a 
uniform rate, for any distance, to twenty cents for twenty words, and j'ou 
will bring blessings and benefits to millions of our people who have hitherto 



In Memoriam — Cadwallader C. Washbctrn'. 13 

been deprived of the use of the telegraph. The mind can scarcely compre- 
hend the vast advantages to the whole country that will ensue if this 
system is adopted. The experience of cheap telegraphy in Europe has 
demonstrated that sixty per cent, of dispatches sent are upon social or 
family matters, wliile here it is rarely used except upon urgent business. 
A money order system, such as is adopted in Europe, would be of incalcula- 
ble benefit to the whole country, and would stimulate and promote all 
kinds of business to an extent that few now can comprehend. If you 
desire to pay any sum of money on a given day at New Orleans, San Fran- 
cisco, or any other point, whether near or remote, you will have but to step to 
a postal telegraph money-order ofifice, deposit the amount you desire to pay 
with twenty cents for a dispatch, and in an hour your correspondent on the 
Pacific coast has your money. From careful estimates, I am convinced 
that the postoffice department could add to itself the telegraph business of 
the country, and that it could do that business, with good wires, at an 
expense of $3,500,000 per annum — one-half, or less than one-half, what 
telegraphing now costs the country; that it could and would do five times 
the amount of telegraphing done to-day, at from one-fifth to one-tenth the 
rates charged at present, and be not only self sustaining, but a small 
source of revenue to the Government. 

This favorite scheme of Mr. Washburn has not been put in 
operation, and the correctness of his vievvs have not therefore 
been tested. His labors, however, in its behalf may not be 
lost, as at some future time the subject may again receive seri- 
ous attention, and his investigations may prove of value. 

In Congress, Mr. Washburn was a hard worker, and brought 
to bear on all important measures, the entire force of his strong 
mind and extensive business experience. He was not a frequent 
speaker; his most valuable service was on committees, where 
he never failed to exert a powerful influence, and always in 
the right direction. When he did speak, he received marked 
attention, and presented his views in clear and forcible lan- 
guage; never failing to make himself fully understood, and 
never attempting to conceal a wrong. He hated all kinds of 
jobbery, and dishonesty in every form, and never failed to 
raise his voice in earnest protest against any effort to defraud 
the Government. He carried into Congress the energy and 
integrity of character, in the consideration of public business, 
that ever characterized his conduct in his private transactions. 
His motto was to do right, and most nobly did he live up to its 
requirements. 

At the breaking out of the war of the rebellion, Mr. Wash- 



14 Wisconsin State Historical Sociirrr. . 

burn raised a cavalry regiment, and was commissioned as its 
Colonel. In June, 1862, he was commissioned as a Brigadier- 
General, and was assigned to the post at Helena, which he held 
till November, when, having been commissioned as a Major- 
General, the entire cavalry force in Arkansas was placed under 
his command. About that time Gen. Grant made a movement 
south for the capture of Vicksburg, and Gen. Washburn, with 
2,000 cavalrymen, dislodged a force prepared to obstruct the 
progress of the army, at the crossing of the Tallahatchie. In 
February, 1863, he conducted an expedition which opened the 
Yazoo Pass, soon after which he took command of the cavalry 
at Memphis, where he remained until May, when he proceeded 
to take part in the siege of Yicksburg. He was ordered with 
two divisions to hold Haines' Bluff, and to watch Gen. Joe 
Johnston, who was in the rear near by with a large force, hoping 
to be able to raise the sie^e. In Ausfust following-, Gen. Wash- 
burn, in command of the 13th Corps, joined Gen. Banks, for the 
purpose of taking part in the Texas campaign. At the battle 
of Grand Coteau, La., he, with his command, saved the 4th 
division, under General Burbridge, from annihilation by an 
overwhelming force of rebels. On the 29th of November, Gen. 
Washburn landed on the coast of Texas with 2,800 men, and 
compelled the evacution of Fort Esperanza, a bomb proof work, 
cased with railroad iron, surrounded by a deep -moat filled 
with w^ater, manned by 1,000 men and mounting ten guns. 
This movement was of much importance, as it gave the Union 
forces control of the entire coast of Texas, from Matagorda 
Bay to the Rio Grande. In January, 186-1, becoming satisfied 
that there would be no further trouble in Texas, Gen. Wash- 
burn availed himself of a leave of absence for sixty days. At 
the expiration of this leave, he was ordered by Gen. Grant to 
Annapolis, to assist in the re-organizing of the 9th Corps, to 
w^hich he was assigned. He was afterwards ordered to again 
assume command at Memphis, where he organized and sent out 
several expeditions to hqld in check a large cavalry force, which 
would otherwise have operated on the communications of Gen. 
Sherman. In December, he was ordered to take command of 
the District of Yicksburg, but soon after was re-called to the 



In Memoriam — Cadwalladeb C. Washburn. 15 

Department of Memphis, which command he held till the close 
of the war. The author of "Wisconsin in the War" asserts 
that •' competent testimony from Memphis says that he was the 
best commander in that position during the war." His military 
record, like that in all pubhc positions he has held, was excel- 
lent, evincing determined courage and will-power, directed by 
strong common sense. 

The following official statement of the military services of 
Gen. Washburn has been received from the army records at 
Washington, attested by Gen. Geo. D. Ruggles, of the Adju- 
tant General's Bureau : » 

*' statement of the military service of Cadwallader Golden Washburn, of 
the United States Army, compiled from the records of this office: 

" He was commissioned Colonel, 2d Wisconsin Cavalry, Oct. 10, 1861, re- 
ported for duty Oct. 10, 1331, and was mustered into the U. S. service Feb. 
6, 18G2. He left the State with his regiment March 24, 1802, and served in 
the army under Gen. Curtis, in Arkansas, to July, 1802. Was appointed 
Brigadier General, U. S. Vols., July 16, 1862, and Major General Nov. 29, 
1862. 

" He commanded a cavalry brigade in Arkansas, and also the post of 
Helena, Ark., July to Oct., 1862; commanded cavalry forces in Arkansas to 
Nov., 1802; Division in the Army of the Tennessee to Feb. 1863; Cavalry 
Division, 13th Corps, to April 9, 1863; Cavalry in West Tennessee to June 8, 
1863: two divisions of the 16th Corps at Haines' Bluflf, Miss., to July 28, 1863; 
1st Division, 13th Corps, to Aug. 1, 1863; 13th Corps to Sept. 15, 1803; 1st 
Division, 13th Corps, to Oct. 20, 1863; 13th Corps to Oct. 26, 1803; 1st Divis- 
ion, 13th Corps, to Dec, 1863; and troops at Matagorda Peninsula, Texas, 
to Jan. 13, 1864; onleaveof absence to March 29, 1864; under orders to 
April 23, 1804; commanding District of West Tennessee to Nov., 1864; Dis- 
trict of Vicksburg to March 4, 1865; and the District of West Tennessee 
until he resigned, May 25, 1865." 

In the spring of 1871, as his last term in Congress had ex- 
pired, a large number of friends urged Mr, Washburn to become 
a candidate for Governor, and, notwithstanding his desire to 
give his entire attention to his vast private enterprises, he yielded 
to the wishes of the people and accepted the proffered nomina- 
tion, and became the candidate for the Chief Executive office of 
the State. His opponent in the contest was Hon. James R. Doo- 
little, one of the most effective orators in the West, and a man of 
fine ability and extensive acquirements. Arrangements werje 
made for a thorough canvass of the State, and the two candi- 



16 Wisconsin State Historical Society. * 

dates spoke from the same platform in the principal cities, to 
immense audiences of interested people of all parties. While 
Mr. Doolittle may have possessed more of the graces of the fin- 
ished orator than did Mr. Washburn, the latter was able to pre- 
sent the largest array of facts in support of the positions he 
assumed, in a straight-forward manner, and in strong and plain 
language for which he was proverbial. The debates were con- 
ducted with signal ability and decorum on both sides, and the 
result of the canvass was the triumphant election of Mr. Wash- 
burn. He was inaugurated as Governor of Wisconsin on the first 
Monday in January, 1872, and his administration of the affairs 
of State was one of marked success. His great executive abil- 
ity, his wonderful energy of character, his strong practical sense, 
and his long and successful business experience, gave him im- 
mense power to do good work, and the State was materially 
benefited in many respects, through his superior management of 
the Executive department. In the autumn of 1873, Mr. Wash- 
burn was re-nominated by his party for the same office ; but owing 
to a combination of circumstances over which he had no con- 
trol, — the various factions of monopoly and anti-monopoly, of 
temperance and anti-temperance, and several other distracting 
elements were arrayed against him, — his opponent, William 
R. Taylor, was (4ected, to the surprise of the people generally. 
In this defeat of Governor Washburn the people were the great- 
est losers. To him it was a relief, and gave him an opportunit}'" 
to look after his private affairs that very much needed his per- 
sonal attention. Kor did his defeat detract, in the least degree, 
from the high reputation he had attained as an official. He will 
long be remembered by the people of the State as a model 
Governor. 

With the close of his term as Governor, the official life of 
General Washburn ended; and, while his public career may 
not have been especially brilliant, as viewed bj' the world, it 
was able, practical and substantially useful to the country. In 
no position was his perfect integrity of character ever ques- 
tioned. His fidelity to duty, and his energetic labor and honesty 
of purpose in all things, and at all times, were admitted, even 
by his political opponents. In his official career, General Wash- 



In Memoriam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 17 

burn, from the beginning to the close of his public life, reahzed 
fully the ideal character for whom the poet so earnestly praj^ed, 
when he wrote : 

" God give us men; a time like this demands 
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands; 
Men whom the lust of oflS.ce does not kill; 
Men whom the spoils of oflfice cannot buy; 
Men who have honor; men who will not lie; 
Men who can stand before a demagogue 
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking; 
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog 
In public duty and in private thinking." 

General Washburn, was undoubtedly an ambitious man; but 
his was a laudable ambition, springing from an intense desire 
to do the greatest amount of good that lay in his power, for his 
country and for mankind. He doubtless had a very strong- 
desire to become a member of the United States Senate; and, 
in this ambition, he was backed, on several occasions, by a 
strong array of friends. In the contest for this exalted position 
in 1861, at the start, he was the strongest candidate before the 
Legislature. The late Governor Randall and the present Post- 
master General, Hon. Timothy O. Howe, were the opposing 
candidates, — Mr. Washburn being the highest of the three. 
After several ballots had been taken in caucus, the opposing 
forces united upon Mr. Howe, and that gentleman was chosen 
Senator. Again, in 1869, he was the leading candidate for the 
same high office at the beginning of the contest before the 
Legislature; but was defeated in obtaining the nomination, by 
the uniting of most of the friends of the several other candi- 
dates upon the late Hon. Matt. H. Carpenter, who became 
Senator. In 1875, he was again brought forward as a candidate, 
and after a long and hard struggle, Mr. Carpenter received 
the nomination for re-election. The friends of Mr. Washburn 
were not satisfied Avith the result of the action in caucus, antl 
withheld their votes from Mr. Carpenter in the Legislature, and 
after several days' voting, a union with the Democrats was 
effected, resulting in the election of Hon, Angus Cameron as 
Senator, At several other contests for United States Senator, 
the name of General Washburn was prominently mentioned ia 
connection with the office, and he received a number of votes 



IS "Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

in caucus ; but it seemed decreed that this ambition should not 
be gratified ; that he should not become a member of the United 
States Senate, a position he apparently desired above all others 
of an official character. These defeats resulted largely from 
the fact that General Washburn did not possess, in any special 
degree, magnetic pov/er over men; he commanded their high 
respect, but was of that positive character that repelled rather 
than drew friends closely to him ; in fine, he was no time-serving 
politician, and knew nothing of the arts of the demagogue. 
This is no reflection upon the uprightness of his character; his 
nature was rather unbending, and he could not draw around 
him those warm friendships that are essentially necessary to 
political success. He was forcible rather than plausible ; positive 
rather than politic; hence the public positions he held were 
obtained because of his real ability and worth, rather than 
from special personal attachments of friends. This character- 
istic should be put down as a real merit in his make up, rather 
than as a defect. 

After tiie term of Mr. Washburn as Governor had expired, 
he directed his entire attention to the management of his ex- 
tensive and rapidly increasing business operations, and it was 
in this department that he met with his greatest successes in life. 
In the manufacture of lumber and flour he accumulated a large 
portion of his ample fortune, presumed to reach several millions 
of dollars. His early investments in pine lands proved of im- 
mense value to him, demonstrating his far-seeing sagacit}"^ in the 
purchase of them, and in the holding on to them through all 
the financial reverses, when men of less nerve and courage, and 
possessing less faith in the progress and growth of the country 
than he, would have abandoned these lands as worthless prop- 
erty to hold, many years before they became of value. He 
made, also, early investments in the water power at St. 
Anthony's Falls, becoming the principal owner of the west side 
power. He became interested in the manufacture of flour, and 
in 1876 erected an immense mill, which was destroyed by fire 
in 1878. This terrible loss did not dishearten this lion-hearted 
man in the least, but rather had the effect to stimulate him to 
greater efforts. He proceeded at once to the work of rebuild- 
ing his mills at Minneapolis on a still larger scale, with improved 



In Mkmoriam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 11) 

machinery. He was the first man in the United States who 
introduced what is known as the patent process for the manu- 
facture of flour, and the Hungarian roller system, that has 
proved so valuable. He visited the old country for the purpose 
of investigating all the improved processes for making flour, 
determined to secure the very best for his own mill. His efforts, 
though attended with much hard labor and large expense, were 
crowned with complete success, and his mill at Minneapolis is 
recognized as the most extensive and best in the world, capable 
of turning out 2,000,000 barrels per annum of the finest quality 
of patent flour. His .flouring mills were his greatest pride, and 
to them, for the last few years of his life, he gave a large share 
of his personal attention, becoming thoroughly informed in all 
the details of the vast machinery. It was generally admitted 
that no man in this country was so thoroughly versed in milling, 
or possessed so complete a knowledge of every detail in the 
manufacture of flour, as was the late Gen. Washburn. 

He was one of the early projectors and builders of the Min- 
neapolis and St. Louis Railroad, and was largely interested in 
many other business enterprises that required skill and energy 
to manage. His life ^v^s one of activity and hard work, and 
evinced tremendous Avill power and physical endurance. 

His immense business success was not the result of accident 
or luck; but resulted from a keen foresight and from great 
thoroughness in the discharge of every duty in life. He never 
shirked any responsibility, but gave his personal attention to the 
work in hand. Integrity of character was his strong hold. 
His word was as good as his bond. An illustration of this is 
found in his conduct relating to the location of the Astronom- 
ical Observatory on the Univ^ersity grounds at Madison. He 
had made an appointment with a member of the Board of Re- 
gents to meet him at nine o'clock the next morning ti) stake 
out the ground upon which to locate this observatory. During 
the intervening night his great mill at Minneapolis was totally 
destroyed by fire. In the morning the Regent presumed the 
Governor had left for the scene of destruction on the night 
train and did not expect to meet him; but prompt at the mo- 
ment, the noble Governor appeared on the ground, as cool as 
though nothing had happened, ready to proceed with the work. 



■20 Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

The Eegent expressed surprise at meeting him on account of 
the great calamity that had befallen his property during the 
previous night. The Governor calmly replied that the loss was 
a large one in property, but that was of small consequence; 
his sadness was on account of the loss of life and the general 
distress to the poor laboring people that it involved; he had 
given his word that he would aid in locating the observatory 
this morning, and but for that, perhaps it never would have 
been located at all. His word must be carried out to the letter. 
He would proceed at once with the work in charge, and tlien 
would proceed to Minneapolis to exert himself in aiding to re- 
lieve the distress caused by the destructive fire. . His own loss 
was the last thing that disturbed his mind. This incident indi- 
cates the general characteristics of this great and good man. 
When he gave his word, he never failed to make it good. 

There could be no failure in the success of such a character 
in whatever he might undertake : and it is not remarkable that 
for the last few years of his life, his business success has been 
almost fabulous. The death of such a man is a great loss to 
the business world. 

Having thus briefly referred to the successes of General 
Washburn, in both his official and his business life, it may be 
well to sum up some of the characteristics of the man, that 
have been instrumental in producing such magnificent results. 
A distinguished Senator in speaking of a similar character, uses 
language so appropriate to our subject, that w^e adopt it as 
better than we could produce: "Born and educated in New 
England, passing the maturity of his years in the West, he 
united, in an uncommon degree, the qualities and characteristics 
of each; the shrewdness, the steadiness, the keen observation, 
the inflexible purpose of the one; the freshness, the eager 
earnestness, the sturdy robustness of the other; the fidelity, the 
truthfulness, the manliness of both. His sincerity Avas beyond 
question, his honest belief in the principles which he professed 
was never dis})uted; he meant what he said, and he said all that 
he meant. He had no halting opinions; he had a judgment, 
and a decided judgment, on every question that was ever pre- 
sented to him. He was a forcible, but not a frequent speaker. 
The strength of his convictions found expression in the bold- 



In Memoriam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 21 

ness of his utterance. Disdaining the lighter graces of rhetoric, 
his spseches did not sparkle with wit nor glow with sentiment, 
but they bristled with facts; if he did not captivate by his 
style, he compelled assent by his reasoning; and when he had 
arranged his facts and constructed his argument, his conclusion 
followed with almost irresistible force. Devoting himself to 
commerce and to politics, he attained eminent success in each, 
and secured the highest rewards of both." 

For several years past, General Washburn has served as Pres- 
ident of the State Historical Society, in which he has ever 
taken, a lively interest, and to which he has made many liberal 
and valuable contributions. His deep interest in the affairs of 
the Society cannot better be illustrated, than by a brief quota- 
tion from his own language. During the last year, the Secretary 
endeavored to arouse an interest to aid in securing a new build- 
ing in which to better accommodate the large and rapidly 
increasing demands of the Society for room. General Wash- 
burn was then in Europe, but his views on this subject were 
asked, and in response to a letter from Mr. Draper, he wrote : 

I read your letter with a great deal of interest and sincere approval. 
Though I am told by my physicians that I must stop writing, or even 
thinking, yet I will bid them defiance so far as to say to you, that I approve 
of every word you say. The State is justly proud of the Historical Society, 
and to you, especially, and to your associate, Mr. Durrie, is due the honor 
of its being what it is. It has grown to such proportions, that there is 
little opportunity for its enlargement without the State's co-operation. 
The room now occupied is wanted for other purposes. Wisconsin is a 
great and prosperous Stale — rapidly increasing in wealth and importance. 
The State is able to do whatever ought to be done to promote the public 
welfare. I do not see how the Legislature can withhold a proper appi'opri- 
ation for a building for the Society. No one can forecast the future, or 
tell to what proportions your collection may grow. It certainly will 
exceed the most sanguine anticipations of any; and I trust you will lay 
out for the far-off future. 

Mr. Washburn was a philanthropist, as has been shown in 
many acts, and as such, the people will ever remember him with 
great respect. In the erection and gift to the State University, 
of the Astronomical Observator}^, fully equipped with the best 
apparatus known to the world, he has reared a monument more 
enduring than stone or brass, and one that will cause his name 
to be mentioned with the highest respect and veneration for the 



22 Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

man Avho bore it, so long as education is respected in "Wisconsin. 
This observatory does honor to the head and heart of the noble 
man, whose death the people of the State sincerely mourn. The 
blessings of the Commonwealth will ever be extended to the 
name of Washburn for this generous and useful donation. 

For the benefit of education, he has also jjresented his beauti- 
ful home, near Madison, known as " Edgewood," another gen- 
erous act, honorable to him as a man and as a philanthropist. 

In his will, he has also provided for the establishment and 
endowment of a public library at his last home, the city of 
La Crosse, that will bestow untold blessings to the people of 
that beautiful city throughout all succeeding generations. In 
like manner, he has provided for the erection of an Orphan's 
Asylum in the city of Minneapolis, in honor of his revered 
mother. Such acts of public liberality endear him to the hearts 
of the people. 

In view of the many and important services Mr. Washburn 
has rendered for the benefit of education and otherwise, the Leg- 
islature by law created him a Life Regent of the State Uni- 
versity, an honor never conferred upon any other citizen, but 
most worthily bestowed in this instance. 

In 1873, Governor Washburn was honored with the degree of 
Doctor of Laws, by the University. 

Though Governor Washburn was but sixty-four years of age 
when he died, still, reckoned from the vast extent and value of 
his works, his life had been along and an eventful one, and the 
rich fruits of that life will never die. His' name will live in his- 
tory, as one of the noble men of the Eepublic. As Congressman, 
as an officer in the late war, as Governor of his adopted State, 
as President of the State Historical Society, as a Life Regent 
of the State University, as a philanthropist, as a business man, 
and as a citizen, he has left the enduring impress of a master 
mind. Xobility of character was delineated in every position he 
occupied in life. 

Notwithstandino: a larofe share of the time of Mr. Washburn 
must have been devoted to the care of his vast business, still, 
possessing the taste, he found considerable time to devote to the 
reading and study of books; and, having a remarkable memory, 
had accumulated a large amount of practical and valuable in- 



In Memoriam — Cadwalladee C. Washburn. 23 

formation, that rendered him an exceedingly interesting man 
in social conversation. He was quite familiar with American 
and English literature and history. He was also a lover of 
poetry, and derived much pleasure in reading the products of 
the best authors. He was very ready and apt in his poetical 
quotations m public speaking and in conversation. 

In personal appearance -Gen. Washburn was singularly im- 
posing; and everything that pertained to him — his physical 
stature, his mind, his manner, his address — gave the impres- 
sion of massiveness. No one could converse with him for any 
length of time, without feeling assured that he was in the pres- 
ence of a powerful mind, well stored with interesting and 
practical knowledge. 

In his religious views, Mr. Washburn was liberal minded and 
full of charity. On this point, we extract from the excellent 
discourse of Rev. Mr. Tuttle, who officiated at his funeral, as 
best indicating his religious sentiments. Mr. Tuttle said : 

Iq respect to Mr. Washbura's religious views I can, perhaps, without 
touching upon any indelicacy, say this: He accepted earnestly the funda- 
mental truth of Christianity, lie had a profound respect for the Christian 
rites and services, and while he entertained distinct and positive opinions 
on religious doctrines, he was modest in the assertion of those opinions, 
was exceedingly free from offensive dogmatism, and charitable toward all 
sects and denominations. He was more anxious, evidently, as all men 
should be, to exhibit a sound life than sound doctrines. We have seen 
what his life was — let us infer from this what his reverence for God and 
for the Savior was. Loving man, whom he did see, what better evidence 
could he have given that he loved God, whom he did not see ? He was an 
optimist in religion as he was in most other things. His nature was keyed 
to a hopeful, clieerf ul strain. There was not a drop of despair in his mind. 
Helping with all his might to save mankind in this world, he hoped and 
believed that God through his infinite power and mercy wiU finally save it 
in the next. 

In his domestic relations Mr. Washburn has been unfortunate. 
In early manhood he was united in marriage with Miss Jeanette 
Garr, daughter of the late Andrew S. Garr, Esq., an able, ac- 
complished and successful lawyer in New York city. She was 
an intelligent and estimable lady, possessing the acquirements 
to make a happy home; but, after a few years of domestic 
happiness and real enjoyment, she became a confirmed invalid 
for life, from the loss of mind, and the family has ever since, 
for a period of more than thirty years, been deprived of her 



24 Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

presence and cheering influence. In all this time of sadness, 
she has been tenderly cared for, in the best possible manner, by 
her devoted husband. Nothing that money could provide to 
alleviate her terrible malady has been left undone. His wealth 
has been liberally bestowed in seeking her comfort; and in bis 
will, the most ample provision is made for her future support. 
He leaves two daughters, both married. The eldest is the wife 
of A. W. Kelsey, Esq., of St. Louis, and the youngest is the 
wife of Col. Charles Payson of Washington city, late United 
States Minister to Denmark. 

The career of Gen. Washburn presents a rare illustration of 
the excellence of our institutions; and affords hope to every 
struggling, brave-hearted youth, who is conscious of a noble 
purpose and possesses inherent strength. It shows what a de- 
termined spirit, guided by upright and honest principles, can 
accom])lish by his own efforts. His life is well worthy of 
imitation. 

How firm a hold Mr. Washburn had upon the people of his 
adopted State was exemplified after his death, which occurred 
in a distant region. On the news reaching the Capital of Wis- 
consin, the Governor immediately issued a proclamation, 
announcing, in fitting terms, the sad event, and appointing a 
committee to receive the remains at the State line, and to ac- 
company them to his late home at La Crosse, and to attend his 
funeral. One of the great railway companies in the State, 
through the Hon. Alexander Mitchell, its President, a life-long 
personal friend of Gov. Washburn, tendered a special train for 
the transportation of the remains and the committee from 
Chicago, and free transportation was tendered to friends from 
all points in the State and from Minneapolis, in Minnesota, to 
the place where the body was to be committed to the dust. As 
the train bearing the honored remains passed through the State, 
there w^ere demonstrations of respect for the man living, and grief 
on account of his death, at every station on the line. People 
turned out in large numbers, military companies were drawn up 
in line, and stood with arms presented as the train passed on, antl 
sadness was depicted on every countenance at the great loss the 
people had sustained in the death of this noble-hearted and up- 
right citizen. At the funeral nearly every town in the State was 



In Memokiam — Cadwallader C.Washburn. 25 

represented ; the farmer left the plow ; the mechanic the shop ; 
the merchant the counting room. At the Capitol of the State, 
all public business was suspended on the day of the funeral, by 
order of the Governor; in his own city of La Crosse, and in 
Minneapolis, the center of his chief business operations, the 
wheels of the manufacturing establisliments ceased to move, 
the hand of industry rested from labor, that a proper tribute 
of respect should be paid to the memory of departed worth. 
Floral tokens of admiration and affection were various and 
plentiful at his funeral rites — many of unique design and pos- 
sessing rare beauty. The procession that followed the sacred 
dust to its final resting place in the beautiful cemetery, within 
the limits of the delightful city that had been chosen by him- 
self as his last home on earth, presented a remarkable scene of 
love and devotion. The streets were literally thronged with 
men and women with moistened eyes, anxious to pay their last 
mournful tribute of love and respect to the distinguished dead. 

The memory of Washburn will long be held dear to the 
hearts of the good people of Wisconsin! 

Farewell, illustrious statesman; uncompromising patriot; 
liberal hearted philanthropist; indefatigable worker; successful 
business man; loyal citizen; staunch friend of freedom; stalwart 
politician; fearless adviser; genial companion; and honest 
man! The State mourns a man without reproach; without 
stain ; a soul above suspicion. 

" The air is thick with death. His flying shafts 

Strike down to-day, the bravest in the land; 
And here and there, how suddenly he wafts 

His fatal arrows! Nor can long withstand 

The mailed warrior, or statesman manned 
Against him. But why should he hasten on 
* * * * to strike one down 

Just in the zenith of his strength and glory of renown? 

*' Washbuml above thy grave, we bow in tears I 

The generous friend, the unrelenting foe, 

In halls of state who '^'ood for many years, 

Like fabled knight, thy visage all aglow! 

Receiving, giving sternly, blow for blow! 

" Champion of right! But from Eternity's far shore 
Thy sf irit will return to join the strife no more. 
Rest! Statesman, rest! Thy troubled life is o'er." 



26 Wisconsin State Historical Society. , 

Hon. Harlow S. Orton, LL.D., of the Supreme Court, offered 
the following remarks: 

It has been assigned to me to speak of Gov. Washburn's private, 
public and business character, and I shall do so with brevity, 
and I trust with truthfulness. 

Our acquaintance began about thirty-five j'^ears ago, and had 
been somewhat intimate most of the time until he died. In early 
Territorial times, the firm of Washburn & Woodman of Min- 
eral Point, engaged in the business of banking, law and dealing 
in real estate, was, and continued to be, for many years, one of 
our most prominent and creditable business concerns, and 
achieved great success, and for that time, Avealth . Both 
Washburn and Woodman were amongst the earliest friends 
and supporters of this Society, and have done much for its suc- 
cess, bv their encourao^ement, counsel and contributions. In 
1852, by the urgent request of Gov. Farwell and myself, Gov. 
Washburn came to Madison and assisted in framing a general 
banking law for this State, and his suggestions tended greatly 
to perfect it, with the view of securing both bill holders and 
depositors against any possible loss ; and that law failed only in 
these respects, by the vicious construction and loose, if not dis- 
honest practices, of those having charge of its execution. 

His great abilities, and excellent character, early in the his- 
tory of the State, commended him to the people of his district 
as a candidate for Congress, and his prominence and usefulness 
in that body, made his election sure for many years. After his 
return from distinguished service in the war, he became a resi- 
dent of another district, which he also represented for many 
terms. At one time, at least, he might have been elected a 
member of the United States Senate, had he pledged himself 
in advance of his election to a special course of official conduct, 
which in itself was not particularly objectionable, but which he 
did not approve. In the Congress of the United States, at 
a time when Credit Mobilier frauds and Congressional stock 
jobbing had seduced and corrupted its members to such an 
extent that even so-called Christian statesmen received bribes, 
and well nigh committed perjury to conceal them, he stood 
almost alone in their exposure and denunciation. For one 
term, and for one term only, he was allowed to fill the execu- 



In Memoriam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 27 

tive office, and for the next he was most unaccountably defeated. 
It is no disparagement to our other Governors to say, that he 
made the ablest and best Governor Wisconsin ever had, and 
filled the full measure of that hig-h office which ought never to 
be sought by any one incapable of performing all of its duties, 
and he was not out-ranked by any Governor in the Union. 

As a business man Gov. Washburn had great energy, endur- 
ance and perseverance, far-seeing sagacity and sound judgment,, 
and his great success m business was not the result of accident 
or chance, but of the exercise of these qualities. He liad well 
laid plans, and a perfect system in all the multiplicity of his 
business enterprises, which facilitated their accomplishment, and 
enabled him to achieve so much without the aid or agency of 
others. Ilis great wealth was the product of his own private 
business, and was not obtained or enhanced by the question- 
able contributions of Government patronage, land grants, cor- 
porate monopolies, or stock speculations. The same great 
qualities he exercised in his own business, he carried with him 
into his official life, and wdiich made him such an efficient worker 
in the public service. 

In office, he was distinguished for his patriotism, integrity, 
fidelity and severe economy ; and he managed all public con- 
cerns as he did his own, except that he expended the public 
funds under his control, with even a stricter economy than he 
did his own, and put no loose construction upon laws made for 
their protection, for the benefit of himself or his friends. As 
Governor, he assumed no doubtful executive powers, and he 
was content to do his full duty within the requirements of the 
Constitution. He treated all offices as public trusts to be ad- 
ministered solely for the public good, and not for his own 
aggrandizement and cheap glory. He was even greater than 
the offices he filled, and honored them more than they honored 
him. His strict impartialit}^ to his friends and enemies, both 
personal and political, and his almost captious particularity in 
official business, in matters small as well as great, his rigid 
scrutiny into the subordinate public service, and his selection of 
the best only, to fill the offices within his own appointment, 
made him unpopular with those who look only to the profits of 
political friendships, and expect dishonest rewards to be paid 



28 Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

« 

out of the public treasury, for political services. From his sub- 
ordinates, he exacted no personal or political loyalty to himself, 
but only obedience to law and a strict discharge of duty. His 
private character may be disposed of in a single sentence. So 
far as I have knowledge, it was exemplary and above reproach. 
As in office he always gave to the pubhc more than he received, 
so his life has been distinguished by his private and public bene- 
factions, and so he died, and his memory will always be honored 
by our people. 



Secretary Draper read the following expression, contributed 
by Ex-Go V. Wm. B. Washburn, of Massachusetts, the associate 
in Congress of Gen. C. C. Washburn: 

During the war in the year 1862, 1 first met General Washburn 
in Washington. He had been assigned to duty in the Department 
of the Gulf under General Grant. It was at a time when the 
cause of the Union seemed to be enveloped in a dark cloud. 
The most courageous were despondent, and the minds of all 
Avere filled with grav^e doubts as to the future. At such an 
hour I shall never forget how refreshing it was to meet such a 
strong, brave man, fresh from the field of conflict. He in- 
spired all with whom he mingled with new hope and courage, 
and allowed no one for a moment to doubt the ultimate tri- 
umph of our cause. He impressed you at the first as a man of 
indomitable will and energy, determined to show the sincerity 
of his convictions by his deeds, and ready to risk, if need be, 
everything he possessed, in order that victory might be ours. 

He remained in the army till he saw his predictions in regard 
to the ultimate triumph of the Union arras fully verified. 
Possessing those qualities which fitted him in an eminent de- 
gree to discharge the duties of public life in that trying hour 
of our country's history, he was not allowed to remain at home 
to devote himself long to his large private business. He was 
at once selected to represent his district in Congress. It was 
there I met him daily, and knew him best. He did not labor 
to make himself conspicuous by the frequent sound of his 
voice, but rather by wise counsel and faithful service to guard 
the interests of his constituents, and to promote the welfare 



In Memoriam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 29 

of the State. He was rarely absent from his post of duty, and 
rarely, if ever, found recorded upon the wrong side of any of 
the great questions of the day. He was affable and courteous, 
frank and generous in his intercourse with his fellow-members, 
and thereby gained a wide and powerful influence, to secure the 
success of any important measure in which he might become 
interested. He always guarded with jealous care the rights 
of the people, and was ever on the alert to secure the passage 
of such measures as in his view would specially promote their 
welfare. Our rail-roads, spreading their net-works over every 
section of the country, quickening into renewed intensity the 
exchanges of business and the intercourse of men, brought 
blessings the value of which could never be computed by fig- 
ures, and yet were destined, he feared, to become at no distant 
day, great monopolies, managed in such a manner as to add to 
the wealth of the few, at the expense of the many. He la- 
bored faithfully by his voice and vote to provide such safe- 
guards as should insure the people at large their full share of 
the advantages to be derived from these great thorough-fares. 
But he became more especially interested in the telegraph 
system of the country. To this subject he gave much of his 
time and strength. This mysterious agency which man had 
subjected, obediently carried his commands across all lands and 
seas, and connected all civilized lands together, and was yet 
destined, as he believed, to unite the families of men even more 
closely together. To this end he desired its advantages should 
be enjoyed by every rank and class of society. In England 
the state acquired by purchase all telegraphs, and so extended 
the system that in a short time every village in the kingdom 
enjoyed the inestimable privilege of instantaneous communica- 
tion with every part of the inhabited globe. He feared that in 
this country the system was destined to be so managed, that its 
extravagant rates would confine its advantages to the few, and 
the great mass of the people would be deprived of its benefits. 
Pie accordingly spent much time in the preparation of a meas- 
ure similar to the English plan, which gave the Government 
the ownership and control of the entire system. It was to be 
as general and universal in its operations as the post-office sys- 
tem : and. in fact, to be made a sort of adjunct to that institu- 



30 Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

tion. The rates were to be reduced to the lowest possible 
point, and cover expenses, so that all might enjoy its ad- 
vantages, and thus it should be made a general, universal 
educator of every section and condition of the country. He 
failed in his endeavor, and his predictions have already been 
most painfully realized. The system has become a gigantic 
fraud, robbing the many to enrich the few. 

As I reflect upon General "Washburn's public career, I am 
compelled to say that I never met him in the way of public 
duty without being impressed by a sense of his sound judgment 
and high principle. He held his opinions from conviction ; and, 
according to his light, served the nation purely, honestly and 
faithfully ; and whoever has done that with all his ability, has 
done his best. He has passed away, but his noble works and 
generous deeds still remain. The present and coming genera- 
tions shall continue to enjoy the rich fruits of his labors and 
sacrifices, and now and then one may be encouraged to imitate 
some of his many virtues. 



Prof. J. B. Parkinson, of the State University, spoke as fol- 
lows : 

The lives of the great and good really need no eulogium. 
Their deeds speak for them, and are often more eloquent than 
words. This is true of him whose private character and public 
services we are met to commemorate, and whose life throughout 
was marked with the rarest qualities of honor, courage, wisdom, 
and manly virtue. 

Few men of our State, perhaps none, have taught more by 
their example, and taught better, than C. C. Washburn. Com- 
ing to the wild West of forty years ago, with no fuller equip- 
ments than two hands, a clear brain, and a stout heart, he 
entered at once upon the work of its subduing with an enthu- 
siasm born of unconquerable energy and boundless faith. From 
the beginning to the end, he grew in power and influence, and 
finally reached that almost perfect stature of vigorous and sym- 
metrical manhood, which may fitly be claimed as a part of the 
well ripened fruitage, from good seed, of this teeming West. 

To a really successful life the end can never come untimely. 



In Memobiam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 31 

Such a life was Governor Washburn's; not without disappoint- 
ments — hours of watching and waiting, and temporary discom- 
fiture — but viewed as a whole, eminently successful. For 
forty years in private station and public service, he went in and 
out before the people of this Commonwealth, and in sight of 
the world. ]^o word can be truthfully said of that life which 
does not honor his memory. 

It is a part of success to amass wealth, if done honestly, and 
with conspicuous fair dealing. It is a mark of success to win 
public honors, in State and Nation, if they are bestowed as a 
badge of confidence or reward of merit. Such success was 
Gov. Washburn's, but it was not his highest nor his best. This 
lay in the line of his moral manhood. It consisted in building 
up, and preserving intact, throughout all the temptations of 
private business, and the seductions and blandishments of public 
station, those qualities of head and heart which gave him a 
reputation for stern integrity and unbending uprightness. He 
may have erred in judgment. All men do so ; but the occa- 
sions are rare, even under the impulse of conflicting business 
interests or party excitement, when anyone has ventured to 
impugn his motives or question his integrity. 

The most successful man of affairs is one who not only knows 
how to accumulate wealth, but also how to use it to advantage. 
Here, also. Gov. Washburn showed his strong practical sense 
and kindly nature. His benefactions during life, and the public 
legacies he left at his death, evinced a catholicity of spirit 
which were characteristic of the man. Of these I need not 
speak. It is enough to say that his gift to the University is 
especially unique in kind, and timely in its making. But his 
services to that institution are not measured by the worth of 
the Observatory alone. His highest and best contribution, after 
all, is the example of his life and character. This his other 
gifts help to commemorate, and thereby do double service. 

The Observatory is a noble contribution to a special and very 
important branch of science. Its quickening influence, too, 
will touch all branches, and so its value to the University can 
scarcely be over-estimated. But it is an aid to young men 
chiefly in one department, while the life and character of Mr. 



32 Wisconsin State Historical Scciety. • 

Washburn himself, is a direct and constant help to them every- 
where, and in all departments. 

IS'ever in the history of our country was there more need of 
such teaching. The danger of the times is that we shall over- 
look personal character in estimating men's life-work. There 
is a tendency in certain directions to lower the standard of 
action — to confuse ideas of right and wrong — to consult 
policy first, and principle afterward — in brief, to stifle con- 
science and crush out manhood, in the strife for the great prizes 
which the world has to offer. Here lies the danger to which 
the young men of the day are especially exposed, and here the 
need of just such teaching as is emphasized by the life, char- 
acter, and services of Mr. "\Yashburn. These are worthy of 
careful study, nnd ma\' be emulated by every young man, with 
profit to himself and advantage to the State. 

JSTo man in the North-west, perhaps, could have died at this 
time and left a wider vacancy. The grief for his loss, too, is 
sincere and universal. It reaches to all classes — the high and 
the low, the rich and the poor. The firm hold he had upon the 
respect of his fellow men was well attested at death. The 
halls of learning then were closed, the wheels of commerce re- 
fused to turn, and the busy hand of industry rested, that all 
might pay final tribute to the memory of departed worth. 

Great heart, rest in peace ! Many have toiled longer, few to 
better purpose. Besides: — "That life is long which answer's 
life's great end." And better than all — and here we find 
partial compensation — of C. C. Washburn it may with deepest 
truth be said, " Although dead, he yet liveth." 



Prof. J. D. Butler, LL.D., offered the following remarks: 
It is impossible for me to add anything to the impressions 
that have already been made. The address of Gen. Atwood 
reminded me of Barrow, who was styled the " unfair preacher," 
because he left nothing for speakers who came after him to say. 
At all events, gleanere after his harvest have plucked even the 
two or three berries that remained in the top of the uppermost 
bough, or in the outmost branches. 



In Memoeiam — Cadwalladee C. Washbuen. 33 

But my task is now hardest because the strongest impression 
of us all is that Washburn needs no eulogy, more than God 
needs proof of his existence. When sophists wandered over 
Greece proposing to declaim in praise of Hercules, men put 
them to shame, and sometimes reduced them to silence, by ask- 
ing, "Who has ever blamed him? Show us who has ever con- 
victed him of faults, before you utter superfluous encomiums." 
In like manner our real feeling is that of the old Roman whose 
advice was, "Would you praise Ccesar, say Csesar, go no 
farther." So of Washburn I may say, "More than his name is 
less." 

But Washburn was our Hercules in more than one sense. He 
was like him a pioneer hero. He cleansed our Augean stable, 
slew many a lion, dragon and hydra that beset our path, and 
brought us the apples of the Hesperides. Both touched society 
at many points, and everywhere approved themselves masters 
of the situation. Tried in all vicissitudes of many colored life, 
the experience of both was often painful, but always profitable 
to their own characters. Thus both turned out 

" Not like idle ore, 
But iron dug in central gloom, 
And heated hot by burning fears, 
And dipped in baths of hissing tears, 
And battered by the dints of doom. 
To shape and use." 

How Washburn's will had grown in skill ! How much his 
capacities had been developed ! But was not the greatest still 
behind, and not yet revealed ? 

I see before me the portrait of ISTathaniel Ames. Twenty- 
two years ago he sat before me as I was delivering a Fourth of 
July oration in this park. He was the only surviving Revolu- 
tionary soldier in Wisconsin, and already in his hundredth year. 
He had served on the coast of Connecticut, had been a pioneer 
in Western IS'ew York before the close of the eighteenth 
century, and was among the early pilgrims west of Lake Mich- 
igan. I called him a three-fold man — a man of three lives. 
He had fought the foes of his country on the land and on the 
sea, and, if the Almighty had given him wings, he would have 
fought them in the air. All this was done by Washburn and 



34 "Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

on a grander theater in less than two-thirds of Ames's length of 
days. Had AYashburn lived on, even up to the age of his own 
father, — that is eight and twenty years longer, what would he 
not have acquired ? All rich men have found it first hard to make 
a little, and then easy to make much. Understanding better 
than most millionaires the true uses of wealth, he would have 
abounded more and more in benefactions. He would have 
devised new charities. 

New charities, I say, he would have devised, for, like the 
apostle Paul, he strove not to build upon another man's founda- 
tion, but as a wise master-builder he laid foundations himself, 
that others might build thereon. Thus he was founder of the 
Dominican school, and of the Observatory in this city, founder 
of the People's Library in La Crosse, founder of. the Hospital 
in Minneapolis, — founder, I had almost said, of our Historical 
Society, of which he was President at his death, — founder of 
modern milling on a mammoth scale, which doubles every grain 
of wheat. He deserves to outrank many founders of cities. His 
handiwork is nobler than theirs, and will outlast it — monu- 
mental as the Pillars of Hercules. 

Washburn is said to have failed to put the crowning key- 
stone on the arch of his political aspirations. But if he failed 
to be elected Senator, it was confessed on all hands that no 
office could honor him so much as he would honor the office, 
and that his failure was owing to his ignorance, or scorn, of 
political mysteries, say rather meannesses. 

" A falcon, towering in his pride of place, 
Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed." 

I am reminded of the lion of Lucerne — one of the grandest 
designs of Thorwaldsen. It is thirty feet long, and cut in a 
clitf of living rock overhanging a pool which mirrors every 
feature. That king of beasts has a spear thrust through his 
heart, but still, though moribund, grasps with both paws the 
escutcheon of France, symbolizing the unflinching firmness and 
fidelity of the Swiss guard, who died fighting against fearful 
odds in defense of the French monarch. Washburn also felt 
the iron enter his soul, but he remained tenacious of his prin- 
ciples to the last, no matter who might prove recreant, or what 
he himself might suffer. 



In Memoriam- Cadwallader C. Washburn. 35 

Another spear of yet more rankling venom cut Washburn to 
the heart. His household temple became emptiness and deso- 
lation. She who in his bloom of youth had sat there as its 
angel, was possessed by a fiend whom no man could cast out. 
A skeleton was in his closet, a ghost haunted his home. 

The behavior of Washburn all through the thirty years 
which it pleased Heaven to make his life bitter with this great 
sorrow, I cannot but admire beyond all the rest of his life. In 
the living death of one adored with the love of forty thousand 
brothers, a stoic would advise suicide. But Christian philoso- 
phy says : " When all the blandishments of life are done, the 
coward slinks to death — the brave live on." 

But merely to live was intolerable to Washburn, He plunged 
into whatever his hand found to do with ten fold more energy 
than ever before, and when asked the reason of his intensified 
activities, by his intimates. Judge Potter and Dr. Hobbins, an- 
swered that it was not any need or care for wealth, but shnply 
to escape becoming crazy himself through brooding over his do- 
mestic calamity. Business then became to him a strong tower 
in which he could take refuge from his woe. There his nervous 
excitement, of momentum vast as his own Mississippi Falls, and 
which, if dammed up, would have produced a deluge, found full 
scope, — ample room and verge enough. Among other bless- 
ings, it gave better bread to millions. 

The promise that " he who handleth a matter wisely shall 
find good," was fulfilled to Washburn. A serpent came to sting 
him like Moses, but when he seized it, it became a thaumaturgic 
wand for him as for Moses. Or, possibly, his transforming 
bane to blessing is best illustrated by what we observe in the 
pearl oyster. When a bit of gravel, slipping into his shell, 
chafes and irritates his delicate organs, he so lubricates and 
coats it that it becomes a pearl of price, a jewel that may hang 
twenty years before your eyes and never lose its lustre. Age 
cannot wither nor custom stale its infinite variety, — the most 
celestial of all gems — for in the Divine revelator's vision of "the 
city of God, " the twelve gates were twelve pearls, and every 
several gate was of one pearl." 

Thrice and four fold happy may we count Washburn, since 
he had learned so much of the grand alchemy, — the blest art 



36 Wisconsin State Histokical Society. 

of turning all to gold. Seeing how high be rose above tbe low 
level, and low ideals of many around liim, and bow far be was 
lifted above bis own grief, I sball always view his character as 
best shadowed forth by tbe crown of our Continent, — tbe loft- 
iest mountain in our National Park, and which, as if through 
pre-establisbed harmony, already bears his name. 

" There a tall cliff lifts up its awful form, 
Springs from the vale and midway leaves the storm, 
Tliough rolling clouds around its breast be sxH-ead, 
Eternal sunshine settles on its head." 



Prof. Edward S. Holden, of tbe Washburn Observatory, 
submitted tlie following observations: 

Governor Washburn's relations to tbe University of Wiscon- 
sin, and to its Astronomical Observatory, are twofold: they are 
special and general. As long as the Observatory which he 
founded shall stand, and shall continue to do useful and faithful 
work, so long his name will be remembered among us all, and 
specially remembered by the students of our University, for 
whose benefit these instruments were placed. It is no small 
thing to thus impress one's name, even, upon succeeding gen- 
erations of the young and ardent minds of a large community. 
But to those who knew Governor Washburn best, this will 
seem a comparatively small thing. 

Ilis character was greater than bis works, and to any one 
who comes in contact with young minds, it will seem more im- 
portant that they should become penetrated with the sense of 
bis moral greatness, than that they should be impressed with 
the magnitude of his gifts. The college is the door-way to life 
as it is; and to-day, as always, a young man has to select not 
only the acquirements which will serve him, but the motives 
which are to guide him in his after life. There is a mental and 
a moral education. 

It was this aspect of Governor Washburn's relations to the 
University which was especially considered in the resolutions 
which the Faculty of the University caused to be entered upon 
their records. And I cannot better express my own sense of 
the high value which so simple and great a life may be to the 



In Memoriam — Cadwalladek C "Washburn. 37 

students of our University, than by transcribing these resoki- 
tions here. 

At a meeting of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, 
held May 22, 1882, the following report of a committee Avas 
unanimously adopted: 

WJiereas, By the death of Gov, Washburn, the University of Wisconsin 
has lost a wise and generous friend, one of its Board of Regents, and the 
founder of its Astronomical Observatory; and 

Whereas, The President and Faculty of the University wish to place 
upon record their apjDreciation of liis eminent services and of his honorable 
life, be it 

Resolved, That the Faculty of the University desire to commend to the 
attention of all men, and most especially to the attention of the students 
of the University, the considei'ation of Gov. Washburn's life and character. 

That life was marked by rare qualities of perfect honor, of high courage, 
of sober wisdom, of steady public and private virtue. 

Such a life has always been, and will always be, the highest testimony to 
the essential soundness of the political and social system under which it 
grows; and his life was an almost ideal realization of the best possibilities 
of our republic. 

It may stand before his fellow-citizens, and specially before the young 
men of Wisconsin, as an example of success which could only liave been 
achieved by the strongest mental faculties directed by the most sturdy 
moral force. 

For forty years his life has been spent among us, open to all to see. No 
word can be said of it which does not honor his memory. As a public 
man he served his country for ten years in the Congress of the United 
States; for two years as Governor of Wisconsin; and as a General of brigade 
and division during five years of open war. All his public service was 
marked by the integrity which distinguished his private life. 

His extensive business affairs were so conducted as to be of great impor- 
tance to the community in which he lived. The success which he attained 
is felt by his neighbors as a positive benefit. It was won by the most con- 
spicuous fair dealing; and it led to no other man's hurt. 

The riches which he gained, he employed while he was living in public 
and private benefactions, and after his death he has left noble legacies for 
public uses. 

The grief for his loss was confined to no class or condition. His body 
was followed to its resting place by the highest ofiicers of the State, and 
by thousands of his fellow-citizens from every walk in life. The serious 
sorrow of a whole community is an impressive proof of the honor in 
which men hold a noble and an upright fellow man; it is a tribute which 
would dignify a king. 

His whole life in its wide relations to politics, to affairs, to science and 
to society, has been a continuous and deserved success. It is to the 
essential cause of this success that his friends are proud to point, and to 
which those who are to succeed him, must attend- 



38 Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

Tliat causp was found in his sound judgment, his strong reason, and 
his sober moral sense, which combined to produce his pubUc virtues and 
his private kindness. 

The fame of such a man is safe in the hands of his successors. It is for 
them to form themselves on his large and ample plan. 

Resolved, That the relations of Governor Washburn to the University — 
as a member of its Board of Eegents, and as the founder of the Washburn 
Observatory — were marked by wisdom and continued generosity. 

The department which bears his name will never lose the impress of his 
character; and, in a wider sense, his liberal gifts will keep his memory 
fi-esh in the minds of his fellow-citizens, for whose benefit they were be- 
stowed. 

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the family 
of Governor Wasliburn, with the assurance of the sincere sympathy of 
the Faculty of the University in their private grief and personal loss. 

Resolved, That these resolutions be spread on the minutes of the Faculty, 
and that they be printed in the College papers, conducted by the students 
of the University. 

My personal "relations with Governor Washburn began with 
a feeling of high respect upon my part, and grew to a manly 
affection and regard, which I am proud to believe became 
mutual. How many other complicated affairs were pressing 
upon him I never knew. I only knew that I could always have 
his undivided attention, and a clear decision. After the prema- 
ture death of Professor Watson, I was called to take charge, 
not only of the Astronomical, but of the business affairs of the 
new Observatory, and I was frequentl}'' asked to give m}'' opin- 
ion, both as a man of science and as an accountant. From the 
very first, I was struck by the way in Avhich details of every 
sort were mastered by Governor Washburn's clear mind. I felt 
that the essential principles of what I was doing, or wished to 
do, were plain to him, and that he sympathized with the 
methods of science fully. In looking over copies of my letters to 
him, I find that I wrote as I would to a man of science in a 
branch different from my own. If the fundamental facts were 
presented, and an outline of the argument given, he was sure 
to see and understand. 

I had no need to be persuasive or urgent. As soon as he saw 
that a thing was good, he approved of it, and the equipment of 
his Observatory is a proof of this. I know of nothing which 
is there, which could be made better. 

One thing only I was obliged to extort from him ; and this 



In Memortam — Cadwallader C. Washburn. 39 

was the permission to place his portrait in, his own Observatory 
where it now hangs. He repeatedly refused this to rae, and 
finally I only obtained permission by a pardonable subterfuge. 

I caused a framed photograph of himself to be hung in a 
place where it was obviously inadequate, and it was to replace 
this photograph that the excellent painting by Mr. Stuart was 
made. 

His main interest was, that the instruments should be "good " 
and sufficient ; and I think that the chief pleasure which he de- 
rived from the Observatory came, in the last days of his illness, 
in looking over the proof-sheets of our first volume of observa- 
tions, which I regularly transmitted to him. 

To you, whom I am addressing, these traits will seem to be a 
matter of course ; and yet it takes but a moment's reflection to 
see that they are unusual and exceptional. In little things as in 
great, he displayed a sound and sufficient reason, and his motive 
force was simple and upright. It is, perhaps, a significant cir- 
cumstance, that I, whose friendship for Governor Washburn is 
of a younger date than that of any of you — his associates and 
friends of years — should feel as if the things that needed most 
to be emphasized were the very things that each speaker has 
most dwelt upon — his moral character, his sturdy will, his steady 
goodness, his virtue in every public and private capacity. And 
the significance is in this — that each of us has felt that he was 
dealing with a character founded upon the eternal verities. His 
was such a soul as Chaucer has described — sober, pitiful, wise, 
true as steel itself. No man could meet him without honoring 
his strength, nor know him well without loving his rectitude. 



Prof. O. M. Conover, LL.D., in behalf of the committee 
on Resolutions, said : . 

On the evening of Sunday, the fourteenth of May last, the 
President of this Society, Cadwallader C. Washburn, passed 
away from earth. From the distant State in Avhich he had been 
sojourning in the fond hope of a restoration to health, his mortal 
remains were brought by loving and reverent hands to Wis- 
consin. They were received at our borders as the possession 



40 WiscoNsiisr State Histokical Society. 

of the whole State, and, attended by a vast concourse of sincere 
mourners from all parts of our territory, and from all conditions 
in life, were consigned to their last resting place in the city of 
his former home. Within a few wrecks after his decease, the 
general sentiment of respect and admiration for his character, 
and of regret for the close of his distinguished and beneficent 
career, had found expression, not only in the utterances of the 
Commonwealth through its official head, and the singularly im- 
pressive incidents associated with the last solemn rites of burial, 
but in' the declarations and resolutions of private associations 
and public bodies, military, civic and religious, almost without 
number. Meanwhile the State Historical Society has found 
until now no fitting occasion for the expression of its own sense 
of loss, or of the respect and affection in which it holds its de- 
parted chief ; but its silence has been due to the fact that it w^as 
endeavoring to prepare, not only for immediate use, but for 
permanent preservation, some suitable memorial of the eminent 
citizen, patriot, statesman and public benefactor whom it de- 
lighted to honor. In the careful record of his laborious, fear- 
less, faithful, upright, energetic, magnanimous and eminently 
useful and successful life, which has been presented as a part of 
the transactions of this meeting, and in the characteristic illus- 
trations and loving memories of that life which accompany that 
record, will be found most fully expressed the tribute which 
this Society desires to pay to its late President. In addition to 
recording these authentic memorials of his career, and without 
adopting the conventional form of resolutions, the members of 
this Society hereby declare their profound sense of the value to 
the whole State of the noble character w^hich has now passed 
from among the living. So long as great capacity, great com- 
mon sense, strong and firm will, vast business and administrative 
faculty, and the most unquestionable and uncompromising pro- 
bity, combined with enlightened patriotism and public spirit, a 
warm and humane heart, and large practical philanthropy, all 
informed, animated and rendered effective by a physical and 
mental energy which only disease and death could overcome — 
so lono" as these high qualities, and long, arduous and eminent 
public service and private usefuhiess flowing from them, com- 



In Memoriam — Cadwallader C. "Washburn. 41 

niiand the regard and admiration of mankind, the State His- 
torical Society of Wisconsin, and the citizens of that State, 
without distinction of sect or party, will do homage to the 
memory of Cadwallader C. Washburn. 



Hon, Mortimer M. Jackson, formerly a Judge of the Circuit 
and Supreme Courts of Wisconsin, long Consul-General of the 
United States at the port of Halifax, and a brother-in-law of 
the late Gov. Washburn, being called upon, said : 

I fully appreciate the kindness which has prompted the call 
made upon me to say a few words on this occasion. 

I think, however, it would be quite out of place in me, espe- 
cially at this late hour, to attempt to add anything to what has 
been so well, so eloquently, and so appropriately said by the 
distinguished gentlemen who have this evening addressed you 
respecting the life, character and public services of the late 
Cadwallader C. Washburn. 

I, therefore, avail myself of your courtesy only to return, on 
behalf of the absent relatives of the deceased, their thanks for 
these memorial services, which I am sure they will regard with 
profound interest, and long remember with grateful appreciation. 



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